Around Annapolis: Tragedy inspires colorful hope in local man's children's book

Courtesy Photo, HANDOUT

Jon Nordstrom's first book, "Sometimes Sleep," ws inspired by the death of his nephew, Nathan, and his daughter' response to his death.

Jon Nordstrom's first book, "Sometimes Sleep," ws inspired by the death of his nephew, Nathan, and his daughter' response to his death. (Courtesy Photo, HANDOUT)

Aries Matheos, Correspondent

Looking at its colorful, joyful cover, it would be hard to see that a family tragedy inspired a children's book written by local artist and author Jonathan Nordstrom.

The book came about after his nephew Nathan was killed in a car accident at the age 11 and saw how that effected his daughter Kalli who was 4 at the time.

"He was the apple of my wife's eye, my daughters best friend, the son I will never have, and my sister-in-law's only child. The news was devastating. The following weeks are such a blur, so awful, I have a hard time remembering them, nor do I feel the urge to try," Nordstrom wrote on his website.

He wanted to offer a way for children and families to cope with loss.

Sleep became his inspiration after his nephew's death and Nordstrom's dreams developed into his first children's book "Sometimes Sleep."

"The very first dream I had about the book involved me being swaddled comfortably in dark black cloth by an elderly woman very much like my grandmother," Nordstrom said. "That particular dream ended up in a nightmare, but I woke up with the idea -- sometimes sleep comes like a grandmother swaddling a baby. It evolved from there."

Nordstrom asked his daughter, who was having a difficult time sleeping after her cousin's death, about what helps her sleep and began to draw the illustrations for the book then wrote the story that followed the illustrations.

His daughter helped inspire his next book, too.

"Shimmer was the direct result of a conversation I had with my daughter about the water cycle, when I asked her a question about it, she gave me the wrong answer, and I wanted to amend that," Nordstom said. "I wanted to write a book a bit more lighthearted that would allow me to make kids laugh while learning a little bit."

Shimmer, the story about a drop that isn't happy with its place in the world and travels through the water cycle trying to find its place, aims to teach children about the water cycle and that there will always be a place to come back to even if they leave home.

Though Nordstrom's dreams and artwork leads the way for his books, children are at the heart of each book.

"While 'Sometimes Sleep' was me pouring my emotions, love and soul onto each page, 'Shimmer' was all about me helping children laugh while learning," Nordstrom said. "Both books are little windows into my love of all the children in my life."

While he's helping the children who read his books, Nordstrom found that he is helping himself too.

"Writing these books have allowed me to find a peace that I may have been lacking before," Nordstrom said. "Sometimes Sleep was absolutely therapy for me in dealing with the loss of our nephew, and I was able to pour some of the love I had for him into the book. Both books have also helped me grow as a person."

He's now planning taking this kind of comfort and combining it with colorful artwork and poetry to help families who stay at the Hackerman-Patz House at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

He has donated 4 prints from "Sometimes Sleep" on a guest room at the house, which serves as a place for families to stay while their children are patients at the medical center. He also will be adding other unique touches to the room.

After David Michaels, the director at Hackerman-Patz House met Nordstrom and asked if he would be interested in the project, Nordstrom and his wife Renee Nordstrom thought it was a great idea. "The goal is to provide a room full of colorful artwork, poetry and inspiration for families and their children in a time of need," Renee said.

"We have done charity work with different organizations and often donated the proceeds from book sales to causes Nathan was fond of or that involved children," she said. "We have met so many wonderful people through selling the book."

The full-time firefighter is working on his third book now. It's about a mouse in a firehouse who is trying to find his way, a very fitting setting as Nordstrom has spent any free time at the firehouse working on his two previous books.

"Between my full time job as a firefighter, my second full time job (my daughters), and the never ending house projects, I take the hours when they come." Nordstrom said. "Most of the work on 'Sometimes Sleep' was done at the firehouse after work hours. It was completed at one of the roughest times of our lives when we lost Nathan, and I needed an outlet where I could escape."

Winning artists

Two Central Elementary School students were honored with other students across the state by Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera on Wednesday.

The students were winners in the ninth annual state Judiciary's Conflict Resolution Day Student Bookmark Art Contest on Wednesday November 12 at the Courts of Appeal Building.

There was a record 2,280 entries of Maryland children in grades kindergarten to eight. Central fifth grader Garrett Kolson won first place and fourth grader Jordan Brady received an honorable mention in the third to fifth grade category for their artwork involving the theme of resolving conflicts peacefully.

All artwork will be displayed in the court's lobby through mid-December.

International night

Annapolis High School's third international night will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the school to celebrate Annapolis' diversity and raise money to donate to a girls' home in northern India.

The night will include student art displays, booths on different countries held by students of the country, children's activities, food from local restaurants that represent the cuisine of countries around the world, festive crafts for purchase, and an hour show with performers from local dance studios and Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Booths also will be available to donate to help fight against natural disasters and disease outbreaks around the world.

To volunteer or for information, email the school sponsor, Akshay Ghandi at aghandi@aacps.org.

Youth showcase

The Annapolis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a private nonprofit sorority that focuses on public service and sisterhood is sponsoring "Ingenious Works of Art," a youth showcase of original works in the performing arts on Feb. 7.

Anne Arundel County students in grades six through 12 are invited to audition.

Performers will be judged in two categories of grades six through eight and nine through 12 on a 3-to-5-minute original work of performance art in one of the following genres: dance, drama, hip-hop, instrumental music, vocal music, poetry and storytelling.

Judging is based on creativity and originality, technicality and execution, stage presence and concepts. First place in the category of grades six through eight will receive an iPad mini, second place will receive $100, third receives an iPod Shuffle. First place for the category of grades 9 through twelve will receive an iPad mini, second place will receive $200, and third will receive an IPod Touch.

The guest room featuring Jonathan Nordstrom's work will be open for viewing during the Hackerman-Patz House Christmas Party.

When: 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 6.

Where: Hackerman-Patz House, 141 Jennifer Road

What: A party hosted by the hospital's NICU for families staying at the house that serves as a home away from home while family members are treated at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Details: Nordstrom will be joined by fellow artist Sharon Hayes, who worked on the Dr. Seuss Room. They will read to the guests, many of whom are family of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patients. http://www.aahs.org/gethere/hackerman-patz.php